1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a locking device serving e.g. to fasten printed circuits into the rack of an electronic installation.
It applies notably, though not exclusively, to the electronic installations taken on board space missiles or aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, it is known that structures of this type currently in use come in the form of cases in which printed circuit boards are fitted by sliding. The entire rear side of these cases supports mechanical and electric connecting elements suited to those of the printed circuit boards.
Experience has proved that this solution is unsuited to the electronic equipment taken on board aircraft where shock and extreme vibratory conditions prevail.
In fact, when a printed circuit board inside such a rack has been subjected to intense vibrations for a certain period of time, the board's connectors and the weld seams ensuring the mechanical and electric contacts between the board and its electronic components tend to deteriorate.
Under these circumstances, it is thus necessary to fix these printed circuit boards without play and in a way that they cannot be deformed when submitted to vibrations. Furthermore, it is necessary that these cards be easily locked in place and unlocked in order to facilitate their maintenance.
Moreover, the available space on board aircraft is usually very limited. The printed circuit boards of onboard electronic equipment are therefore grouped together in a very small space. It ensues that the heat emitted by the electronic components borne by these boards is not easy to evacuate.
The known structures are not very satisfactory from this point of view, as they are ill-suited to the heat exchanges required to evacuate the heat thus emitted.
It is therefore necessary to provide an efficient means of evacuating this heat in the racks destined to equip aircraft.